All Eyes on Asia From left: Laotian children along the banks of the Mekong; Cambodia's Angkor Wat temple complex; kayaking Vietnam's Ha Long Bay.

On the summit of Pakistan's Spantik, tremendous panoramas of the surrounding peaks and glaciers await—360-degree views take in the rugged, unexplored region where two of the greatest mountain ranges in the world, the Karakoram and Himalaya, collide.

Mick O'Shea has logged first kayaking descents down 18 different rivers in Southeast Asia, including a first ever full kayaking exploration of the Mekong River from source to sea. Next September he leads a brand-new Explorers' Corner trip to Ha Long Bay, the Xépian wetlands, and the Mekong River in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. "Needless to say, Mick knows his way around Indochina," says Explorers' Corner owner Olaf Malver. "We asked him to create an itinerary that includes his favorite paddling locations in one diverse trip, and he came back with a proposal that simply blew us away."

O'Shea's 16-day excursion begins with the exotic lagoons and islets of UNESCO World Heritage site Ha Long Bay before visiting Laos's Louangphrabang: an unspoiled French colonial city with teakwood houses and rows of ancient Buddhist temples. Paddlers then swap boats for elephants to enter the freshwater marshes of the Xépian wetlands and commence a three-day journey down the Mekong River deep into Cambodia. The Mekong carries kayakers past Khone Falls, the mightiest cascade in Southeast Asia, and into one of few remaining habitats of the rare Mekong Irrawaddy dolphin, and the itinerary finishes with a paddle into the Angkor Wat temple complex—a first descent of its own sort. "As far as we know, we will be the first group ever to visit this incredible sight by kayak," says Malver. Pick this if: You're seeking an under-the-radar tour of Southeast Asia led by its preeminent modern-day explorer. Departs: September

Next summer, after a five-year hiatus, World Expeditions returns to Pakistan with a journey deep inside the Karakoram Range to 23,064-foot (7,030 meter) Spantik. "Only about a hundred people have ever summited Spantik," says World Expeditions' Brad Atwal. "It's one of the few blank spots left on the globe." Big-mountain experience is a must; expedition members will participate in all aspects of setting the route and planning a summit bid. After a three-day approach and several days of acclimatizing, two guides and 20 Pakistani high-altitude porters will lead climbers up the mountain, breaking trail up steep snow slopes to the summit. There, tremendous panoramas of the surrounding peaks and glaciers await—360-degree views take in the rugged, unexplored region where two of the greatest mountain ranges in the world, the Karakoram and Himalaya, collide. The World Expeditions trip will be led by British mountaineer Simon Yates, climbing partner of Joe Simpson in the best-selling book Touching the Void. For inspiration, ask him about his first ascents in Patagonia, his climbs up Pakistan's other peaks, and his famously harrowing experience on the west face of Peru's Siula Grande. "Participants will feel like true explorers, which is tough to do in today's world," says Atwal. "This is a perceived off-limits destination with a challenging objective in a part of Pakistan that few have explored before." Pick this if: You've watched your Touching the Void DVD more than five times. Departs: July

Nearly half of the fabled Mekong's 2,700-plus miles (4,345 kilometers) flow through China, and no commercial rafting company has yet guided clients down any of them. Next year, Mountain Travel Sobek will be first, floating the upper Mekong as part of their continuing work with the Nature Conservancy to help locals create sustainable industries. Crowned by glacier-covered mountains, the high-walled gorge of the upper Mekong is practically uncharted—and a lack of shoreline and fast-running, cold-water rapids adds to the Class IVV challenge.

The run begins in China's Yunnan province, primarily Tibetan in history and tradition, and a vivid cultural backdrop is evident from the start: A Buddhist monastery overlooks the put-in at the village of Xidan, where prayer flags flutter over the waters. Downstream, paddlers will mix river camping with village stays in traditional rammed-earth homes. The rafting trip culminates with a passage through Moon Gorge, a narrow 50-foot-wide (15 meter) chasm full of Class IIIIV rapids lined by steep walls and towering mountains above. But the physical adventure, says guide Jim Norton, is just a slice of the big-picture objective: to help build a locally owned and run tourism economy that's self-supporting and culturally sensitive. "What we're ultimately trying to do," says Norton, "is make ourselves obsolete." Pick this if: You crave uncharted white water and a sustainable global economy, too. Departs: March

"In northern India, the major destinations—Taj Mahal, Rajasthan—are all clustered near Delhi," says Gordon Janow, program director for Alpine Ascents International. "But in the south, there aren't huge sites lined up one after the next; they're harder to reach. You might wind up hiking through the jungle to reach the temples." Jungle jaunts are just a part of Alpine Ascents' new 21-day tour of southern India, where the nation's finest Hindu temple architecture lies alongside dense virgin forests that contain some of its most impressive wildlife: elephants, tigers, crested hawk eagles, and more. "It's very Kiplingesque," says Janow. "It's an incredible feeling to get lost in there, where there are no people or buildings and where it's hard to imagine developed life outside."

Moving at a slow pace, you'll cover several hundred miles from the state of Tamil Nadu to Kerala, pausing in small towns to hike through ruins and witness temple ceremonies in which Brahman priests swing flaming candelabra. You'll also trek through the jungles of Periyår Sanctuary, where elephants have worn paths through the wilderness and a 75-foot (23 meter) tower hovers within the blooming canopy, offering views of langurs, water buffalo, wild boars, and the few remaining tigers below. The trip closes with a two-day boat ride down the palm-fringed canals of Kerala and a stay at an exclusive ayurvedic center, where you can rejuvenate with meditation, yoga sessions, and 3,000-year-old traditional herbal treatments. Pick this if: You'd rather bushwhack than ride a tour bus. Departs: October

A support staff of Mongolian interpreters and guides facilitates travel through the region; baggage is transported by shuttle, so you can hike at elevation with only a daypack. Nights are spent camping and visiting with local families in their gers (yurtlike homes) where you'll experience that uniquely flavored (think fizzy, boozy yogurt) emblem of Mongolian hospitality: airag, or fermented mare's milk. As you trek through the undulating terrain of the Tavan Bogd, you'll observe the life of a people living on a true frontier: Wind turbines charge television batteries, and satellite dishes are mounted atop family gers. "In the middle of nowhere, these people are caught between a very old nomadic life and what's going on in the world today," says Kern Hildebrand, veteran Sierra Club Mongolia guide. "We're very excited to spend time with them." Pick this if: You've caught the Mongolia bug but want to go where others haven't. Departs: August

The pink-and-white sandstone landscape of Jordan's Wa¯dı¯ Rum served as headquarters for Lawrence of Arabia and Prince Feisal during the planning stages of their legendary 1917 attack on Al 'Aqabah. Now, an international climbing camp has replaced the guerrillas' canvas tents and, thanks to British outfitter Exodus Travels' new week-long, van-supported cycling tour of Jordan, mountain bikes, not camels, are the preferred mode of transport. Averaging 26 miles (42 kilometer) a day for five days on tarmac and unpaved roads, the Exodus trip is the first to trace the historic trading route from the Dead Sea to the Red Sea. "This isn't an area that is widely used as a biking destination," says Exodus' Andrew Appleyard, a trained archaeologist who recently returned from the trip. "And we like that."

Starting in the capital of 'Amma¯n, cyclists wend their way south past carefully restored sixth-century Byzantine mosaics and 2,631-foot (802 meter) Mount Nebo, believed to be Moses' burial site, before cruising down to the Dead Sea. After pausing for a dip in the sea's buoyant waters, the tour continues along its eastern shore toward the startling canyon city of Petra, the Arab capital in Hellenistic and Roman times that was more recently featured in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Often called the eighth wonder of the world, Petra was carved directly from rusty red-and-yellow sandstone and boasts intricate houses, tombs, and a centerpiece treasury. From there, the journey heads south toward Al 'Aqabah and, after a long day of biking to Wa¯dı¯ Rum, ends with a night under the stars in a desert camp flanked by the dry river bed's signature soaring cliffs. Pick this if: You'd enjoy pedaling in the footsteps of Lawrence of Arabia. Departs: Year-round, beginning in February

Central Asia's five Stans are home to some of the most legendary mountain ranges on the planet: the glacier-clad Pamirs, the jagged Tian Shan. In 2006, Eco-Expeditions pioneers a new trip to these five former Soviet republics, beginning on the steppes of Kazakhstan and moving west toward the Caspian Sea shoreline in Turkmenistan. "The ethnic groups and cultures that make up these places are incredibly diverse," says Spencer Lee, spokesperson for Eco-Expeditions. "And the whole area is really just now opening up to the West."

Half the thrill of the excursion is witnessing cultural treasures that few Westerners have seen since Marco Polo: in Kyrgyzstan, Saka petroglyphs that date back to the Bronze Age; in Kazakhstan, the Zenkov Cathedral, a wooden masterpiece built entirely without nails; in Tajikistan, early Persian ruins at Bunjikath; in Uzbekistan, the massive Bibi Khanym mosque, crown jewel of the Silk Road trading city of Samarqand; and in Turkmenistan, the brilliantly woven carpets (a regional specialty) in As˛gabat. The other half of the fun? Being among the first to check out the region's untrammeled natural landscapes—hiking to Kyrgyzstan's Ala-Archa Gorge, searching for rare snow leopards along Kazakhstan's Aksu River, and blissing out on unparalleled mountain views in Tajikistan, "the Nepal of the Stans." Pick this if: You won the Central Asia geography bee but have yet to go there yourself. Departs: May, September

Sorry, your browser does not support iframes. This form is available here: subscription form